Dermatitis is a general term that describes an inflammation of the skin. Atopic dermatitis, for example, is a pruritic inflammatory skin disorder that affects human children and adults, as well as animals. It is believed that in atopic dermatitis, exposure to irritants and allergens involves both immunological and inflammatory pathways, resulting in skin lesions and pruritus. In humans, atopic dermatitis is sometimes called atopic eczema. Atopic dermatitis in infants, also called infantile eczema, causes an increase in the tendency to develop asthma and allergic reaction later in life, a progression called the atopic march. Early and effective treatment of atopic dermatitis in infants could result in a reduction in problems later in life.
In dogs, atopic dermatitis also presents as pruritus, evidenced by scratching, and chewing, rubbing, or licking the face and feet. Hot spots in dogs, also known as moist dermatitis, are localized spots of skin inflammation that are a source of great agitation for dogs, causing the dog to become fixated on the itchy spot, bothering it constantly until a wound develops. Often hot spots become infected and require treatment with antibiotics. Like dogs, cats can also suffer from atopic dermatitis and hot spots.
Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is a severe form of atopic dermatitis characterized by ulcerative skin lesions. UD has been noted as a problem in laboratory mice, particularly C57BL/6 (B6) background mice, leading to euthanasia of affected animals due to enlargement of the stable ulcer and/or extreme self-trauma to the affected areas. Given the cost of producing specialized strains of laboratory mice, euthanasia of even a single laboratory animal due to UD is an unacceptable outcome.
What is needed are new treatments for chronic inflammatory disorders, such as dermatitis.